Software applications exist to generate many different types of electronic mail (e-mail). Web based e-mail software allows users to access and send e-mail via standard Internet browser sessions. With today's pervasive networking systems such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs) and the Internet, and software tools such as e-mail, it is very easy for individuals to send e-mail to different computers, computer systems and other individuals. As a matter of corporate security there is therefore a need to classify, manage and control the creation and flow of e-mail correspondence and the like.
Some web based e-mail systems allow the user to indicate the importance of their e-mail by assigning properties such as “Low Priority”, “Urgent” etc. These properties are pre-defined by the e-mail software vendor and the software may not allow the assignment of properties that are really significant to the user, such as security level, the type of information being created or identification of what distribution restrictions should be placed on an e-mail. The properties defined and supported by the software cannot be easily modified by users or administrators and offer limited value in a corporate environments that have higher security and distribution considerations than the normal importance levels. As a result, there is no way to communicate various classifications, project associations, and intended distribution of the e-mail. In addition, current systems do not allow the classification of electronic calendar items and meeting requests.
When classified e-mails are opened by recipients using different e-mail software, other than the one used by the sender, the properties will often not be reflected to the recipient. As a result, the person receiving the e-mail has no easy way to identify the classification or importance of the e-mail or calendar item, and they therefore do not know what limitations should be placed on the handling and distribution of the e-mail. In addition, compliance systems verifying the handling or distribution of the e-mail have no way to decide what to do as there are no meaningful properties attached to the document.
There is therefore a need for an improved classification and management system for web based electronic e-mail.